Swan Song
by Great Angemon
Summary: Link and Zelda are having a day together in Hyrule Field, when disaster strikes. Rated T for character death, and swearing twice at the end. Sort of post OoT.


Swan Song

By GreatAngemon

"Guess who," I said, covering Zelda's eyes with my hands. She let out a small giggle, trying to pry my hands off of her face.

"Is it Kafei?" she asked as I moved around to face her.

"No."

"Is it Ralph?"

"No."

"Is it-"

I let go of her eyes, and she giggled at the look of hurt on my face. "Oh, it's you," she said, wrapping her arms around me, and giggling again.

"Who else would it be?" I ask, throwing her a contemptuous glance.

"Well, I was expecting to see Ralph, but I suppose you'll do," she said, looking me up and down, and smiling.

"Good to know," I reply, turning away from her.

"Link," she said, grabbing my arm and swinging me around to face her, "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. Will you forgive me?"

She stuck her lip out in a very cute pout, and I said the first thing that came to my mind. "Of course," it came out as a sigh. She clapped her hands as I sat down, and gave me a dazzling smile.

"Yay," she said, putting her arm around my waist, and I sighed.

"You knew it was me, didn't you?" I ask, and she nods.

"I just couldn't resist," she said, smiling at me. "Who else would it be?"

"Well, clearly it could be Ralph or Kafei," I say spitefully, and Zelda just giggles, lying on her back. "So, what are you doing out in Hyrule field on this fine day, when you have so many important royal duties you could be attending to?"

"Impa said that I could use the break, so she sent me out here," Zelda replied, shrugging as I lean back next to her.

"Well, Mido basically threw me out of the forest because he was sick of having me around," I tell her, "So I've just been walking around out here." She sighs and looks at me sadly.

"I just wish we could hang out like we used to," she said, "Back before I had so many goddess forsaken duties to attend to."

"Yeah, but we're hanging out now," I say, smiling. "We should take advantage of that, shouldn't we?"

Zelda jumped to her feet and grabbed my hand, trying to pull me to my feet. "You're right, let's go."

I stood up and pulled out my ocarina and blew a few notes. A moment later, a chestnut colored horse started galloping towards us from the desert. She stopped just short of running into Zelda, who flinched in fear.

"Hey Epona," I whisper, patting her neck. Zelda just watched, a look of curiosity on her face. I stroke Epona's mane for a moment longer, then offer my hand to Zelda.

"You want me to get on?" she asked, looking fearful

"Of course I do," I laugh, "What, afraid of a little horse?"

She shakes her head vigorously, but doesn't get any closer. "I'm not afraid, I just don't like horses."

"Alright, we don't need to ride her," I say, trying to keep myself from laughing. Turning to Epona, I say, "You can go to Lon-Lon Ranch. Malon'll take care of you."

As she galloped away, Zelda walked over to me, and said, "Where do you want to go first?"

Shrugging, I say, "You're in charge today, your highness." She grins and grabs my hand, pulling me along.

"Then we're going to go swimming in Lake Hylia," she says, though I see we are headed to the castle.

"Then why are we going the opposite direction?" I ask, and she giggles.

"Because I don't have my swim suit, silly," she says, still tugging on my hand. I smile at her and stop in my tracks.

"You don't need it," I say, "You can put on your Sheik outfit and swim in that."

Zelda gasped, and nodded. "Play that song that teleports you to Lake Hylia, and we'll be there really fast."

I pulled out my ocarina, played a short song, and a few minutes we were diving into the ice cold water of Lake Hylia. "We need to do this more often," Zelda said when we had reemerged from the water.

"Yeah," I say, grinning at her, then, diving under the water, I pull on her legs, dragging her under too. When I looked around though, she's nowhere to be seen. "Zel, where are you?"

Then out of nowhere, she pushed on my shoulders, trying to get me under the water. "Take that Link," she screamed, laughing. I just pull on her wrists and twist her around to face me.

"What is it that I'm taking, dear princess?" I ask dunking her under the water. She sputters and glares at me as she comes back up.

"Well, if you'd not dunk me, I'd dunk you," she said, punching my chest, but laughing. I just grin at her and start walking over to the shore. I set her down on the grass of the path to Hyrule field. "So, how long has it been since we had fun like this?" Zelda asked when I had set her down and sat next to her.

"Can't have been less than four or five months," I say, wrapping an arm around her waist. "We should do it more often."

Zelda nods, and points to a bird on the water. "That's a pretty bird, Link."

"It's called a mute swan", I say idly. "Do you know what they say about the mute swan?"

She shakes her head, and I say, "Legend has it that Cygnus Olor, or the mute swan, is silent, until the moment of his death, when it sings only once."

"It must be a pretty song, if it only sings once," Zelda said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Then, out of nowhere, her head snaps to the left, alert. "Did you hear that?"

"Zel, there's nothing out there," I say, just as an arrow landed right next to Zelda. I stand up and look around seeing nothing but another arrow flying towards Zelda. I push her down and put my shield in front of me, deflecting the arrow.

"Stay here!" I say forcefully, and she nods. I rush in the direction I saw the arrow come from and a second later regret it.

"Link, help!" I hear Zelda shout. Turning, I see her being held up I front of an archer, who was notching an arrow. I run back and swing my sword at the creature holding her. She drops to the ground, but screams.

A second later, I realize why. There was a sharp pain in my side, and looking down I see the end of an arrow, buried in my flesh. I drop to the ground, my vision darkening and my hearing fading. I see Zelda pick up my sword and swing it at the archer, who fell.

"Link," she said, dropping to her knees and pulling out the arrow. She put her hands on the hole that was now in my side, saying, "It'll be alright, Link, it'll be fine. You aren't going to die…"

Her voice fades out of my head and all I'm left with are a few thoughts.

'_Well, Link,' _I think to myself, _'It looks like you've sung your swan song. You protected Zelda, and that's pretty honorable. Pretty damn honorable.'_

Then Zelda's voice drifted back, and she says, "Link, I need you to answer me a question." Her voice is choked with sobs, and muffled, because her face is buried in my chest.

"What," I ask, coughing up a little blood.

"The mute swan, it doesn't sing, does it?"

I shake my head, and, a thought striking me, use the last of my strength to stretch up to her and give her a small kiss. "I love you, Zelda."

"It doesn't sing," she whispers, "That's just great."

"Good bye," I whisper to her, and she leans over me, hugging me and giving me a kiss.

"Good bye," she said, no longer crying, but her voice cracks.

'_Pretty damn honorable,'_ I think again, everything fading, _'Goodbye, Zelda…'_

Well, that's the ending to Swan Song. I hope you liked it.

If you did, review. If you didn't, review any way to tell me what I did wrong.


End file.
